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Drama Bites: Good Doctor Episodes 5-6

It seems like Good Doctor might break into the 20% barrier soon. Well not surprising since the competitors aren’t as strong.

Thoughts: I’m not familiar with how the Korean medical system works but based on what we’ve seen so far, death takes a huge blow on both the doctor and the hospital. To save themselves from the pain and negative image this will inevitably cause, they send the patient away to another hospital. So is your own reputation more valuable than saving a hopeless case? The drama made it seem like Chief Go was a bad guy for washing his hands off Min Hee’s case. But his judgment was right to begin with. It’s just hard to trust his decision because of his carelessness and ambitious attitude we’ve seen so far. What he did wrong though was he didn’t talk to the parents and prepared them to let go of Min Hee. If he actually did that, his character would have more dimension to it that’s worth exploring.

Although things turn for the worst, as Min Hee actually died. It was quite realistic that the parents blamed the doctors for their pain and how aloof Yoon Seo was. It’s never easy to handle a lost because the void will always remain. We see how the characters comfort themselves with the concept of heaven. People like to think that their loved ones will have a better place to go to. The time we spent with them will never fade. As long as we try to remember them, they’ll always be in our hearts.

I don’t agree with how the doctors forcibly reject the concept of a heaven. It’s like they treat themselves as the saviors who’s only job is to keep the patient alive. It’s good that a patient is living but there are times, when it’s just really too late. A death means there might have been something that went wrong in either the environment the patient lived in or the health system itself. Those are things most doctors fail to recognize. It’s quite interesting how the Director Choi was trying to hint about regionalization. All the specialized doctors prefer to work in the big hospitals in the city because that’s where all the money is. But if these doctors are spread out in the localities, there are deaths that can be prevented.

Once Yoon Seo properly reflected on Min Hee’s death, she realizes she’s become a technician in surgery factory. The fear of not being able to keep her idealism was is making her weak. She knows what Do Han is teaching her is limited because what Do Han is capable of is also as limited. Do Han is talented. He can become great even without the benefits of what idealism can bring, so he’s not able to relate to ordinary doctors in that regard. But he is right in saying that feelings don’t work because it can cause you mistakes. I think it works well mostly in his situation. He looks like the type who’s blocking all an overwhelming scar with work because he hates the pain. Do Han’s pain is obviously bottled up because Chae Kyung knows nothing about it.

Chae Kyung is pretty blunt. She knows Do Han doesn’t take interest in her and she’s already quite wary of Yoon Seo. Surprisingly even if she’s sort of clingly, she’s not the usual second lead who’ll go out of her way to make Yoon Seo’s life hell. All her antagonism seems to be targeted to her stepmother, Chairwoman Lee instead. I don’t understand her hatred for the Chairwoman. She feels like everything that belonged to her father was stolen from her. If she was a child, that bratty attitude would be normal but she’s a smart woman. It’s just a matter of grounding her character in a context we’ll be able to care about. But it’s interesting though how she’s teaming up with Mysterious Chairman, who’s in cahoots with Assistant Director Kang as well. I was wondering how is she going to remove Chairwoman Lee from her position, considering hers is lower but this answers it. I have a feeling this pointless revenge will backfire on Chae Kyung badly and she’ll have no one to help her out because Do Han would be head over heels Yoon Seo by then.

Do Han actually opened up his heart about what happened to his younger brother, Soo Han to Yoon Soo. It’s the first step, which proves how he values Yoon Soo’s presence. I was beginning to get annoyed with Do Han’s irrationality. How stubborn can he be for the past two episodes? In the beginning, he was quite rational and firm about guiding Shi On. But he was starting to become the hindrance to Shi On’s growth just as he was to Yoon Seo. His harsh behavior on Shi On had no basis, until the revelation about past. As I suspected, he’s overwhelmed with guilt and tries to cover it up with something else. In this case, it’s his cold and stubborn attitude towards Shi On. If only Do Han can accept the role of becoming Shi On’s guide to becoming a good doctor, only then can he move on and actually forgive himself.

Despite the leaps of character development, I do have a few quibbles about the drama though. I’m taken aback a fellow has not even conducted a surgery on her own. Usually you can already perform one after completing residency. Then there is the revelation that cafeteria lady is Shi On’s mother. I thought Shi On’s mother was clearly dead. I can’t fathom her possible reasons for abandoning Shi On in an orphanage. It’s obvious she’s a plot device meant to bring out the waterworks. I just hope the role she plays will be bigger since she’s introduced into the story this early.

Communication plays a vital role in this drama. I don’t think I need to dwell on this much. But this drama reminds us to pay attention to the quite and useless things, because those things still have it’s meaning. Sometimes, it can prove useful. It’s great to see varied reactions in handling a situation. Good Doctor is solid so far and I hope it keeps it that way.